April 30, 2022

I’m full of random questions this morning. The more I hear about the ridiculous actions of our government leaders, I wonder who is truly in charge. Are they being secretly controlled and allowed to push their agenda forward to show how depraved they truly are? Are the good guys in power? If so, how far will they let them go? Though the vaccine has consequences, did it keep us from being locked down for years while the communist overtook us? With as many weapons as we have as individuals, why would they ever think they could control us? But they are! With gas prices and food shortages. Have you heard about all the fires in the food processing plants throughout our country? They are creating a food shortage! Lawlessness has increased. Bad is good, and good is bad. Right is wrong, and wrong is right. Nothing makes sense. The ruthless are doing everything they can to try and control uncontrollable people. As scary as this sounds, we know God is watching. I am confident he will protect us from their criminal activity! This is a spiritual battle, but it has physical consequences. Stay strong, mighty warriors of God, and continue to fight the good fight!

And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:12-13

April 29, 2022

Symbolism is everywhere! Once you begin to recognize it, you will realize that the devil’s hand is in everything! What’s sick is that churches are involved! We must continue to pray for the children of God. As the world becomes more unstable, the enemy’s intentions become known; you can see it; it’s right in our face. We must seek God for his wisdom to teach us how we should traverse society. Rather than becoming reactionary, we must use our prayer as a weapon against enemy forces. Follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit when it comes to dealing with people, and continue to worship and honor God. It is our responsibility to give everything to him and submit to his authority and power; because when we are weak, he is strong. We cannot go to war against the enemy alone; he will chew us up and spit us out. Recognize that we can do nothing without God and his strength. Know that we are already victorious because we are blessed!

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, Ephesians 6:18

April 28, 2022

The truth about what’s going on in the world is right in our face, yet we don’t believe it because it doesn’t seem real. The enemy thrusts it in front of us and tells us what they are doing, but we dismiss it as a slip of the tongue. How often have we heard world leaders “accidentally” use the wrong words, and we count it as a mistake? They’ve been slipping up a lot! These aren’t accidents; it’s the truth! I’ve read that those following certain cults must tell us what they are doing before they do it; it’s part of their code of ethics. Imagine that, followers of Satan have a code of ethics. Words have power, and if we don’t start listening more carefully to what these cult followers are saying, we will lose every bit of our freedom. They are in our government, the media, churches, Hollywood, and throughout. We must come against these powers and principalities of this dark world and seek the help of God to counteract the measures they are using against us. We are at war, but because we’ve been blinded by what’s right in front of our eyes, we fail to see it. We are called to get in the battle! Put on the whole armor of God! What is the armor? Salvation, God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, prayer, and righteousness. 

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:11-12

April 27, 2022

Going through the process of a home inspection is grueling, but when it’s ten, it’s torturous! Because these are rental duplexes, we pay the water bill. Then imagine finding out that half of them have leaks that we know nothing about! We’ve tried explaining our expectations to our tenants, especially when it comes to any kind of water issue, but because they don’t pay the water bill or have to pay for the damage it causes, it doesn’t seem to matter to them. It took an hour for the inspectors to complete each unit. Thankfully, they had a team, but it still took the entire day. 

What if we were being inspected by Jesus? Would you stand up to the test, or would he find out that you’ve taken advantage of his generosity? When you accepted him as Savior, he wiped your slate clean, giving you a perfect home; however, many continue to sin and cause damage like a leak, and he must pay for the damage you caused. You may ask, “how do I cause damage?” Sin always causes harm, whether it’s to you or someone else who is affected by it. Do your best to refrain from the appearance of sin, so your testimony is clean.

Abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Hebrews 10:26-27

April 26, 2022

I'm not sure how this day will go, but the birds seem to think it's going to be great. Their songs are so loud that I can't hear anything else. My day is tied up in home inspections, and I dread it. Thankfully this will be the last of them. I don't like intruding on others and their homes, but it's necessary when a sale is involved. Sometimes, when we share Jesus with others, they feel like we are intruding because it makes them evaluate how they live. They feel like we are calling them out on their lifestyle. The truth is that it's the Holy Spirit causing them to feel judged because they know the way they are living is wrong. Remember Jesus and the woman at the well? He held nothing back and told her everything she had done. He didn't tread carefully on her feelings. I think we may be so afraid of rejection that we fail to share the gospel's truth with those who need it the most. We must take our cues from Jesus; he was bold and unafraid. If they reject our message, we can walk away. Sometimes a little intrusion is necessary to save a life.

So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” John 4:28-29

April 25, 2022

We installed new cameras around our house yesterday. It’s like a kid getting a new toy; we played with it all afternoon. You would think we were scared of the dark with all the surveillance we have. I may be a bit behind on the technological front, but I was intrigued by the ability to communicate through these tiny cameras. I was walking around the house testing them to see how long it took them to notify us of activity, and I heard Richard on the speaker asking me if I could hear him! Incredible! Eyes everywhere! You can’t go anywhere on our property without being the star of a movie.

It made me think about how God watches over his children and how protective he is. He watches and takes notes. Keep listening for his voice and responding when he calls to you. He may not act on your behalf right away, but guaranteed he will avenge you in due time and return to you double what you have lost at the enemy’s hand. Nothing has happened to you that God doesn’t see.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12

Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. Zechariah 9:12

April 24, 2022

Moving into Richard’s childhood home has been a challenge. I tend to want everything perfect; however, God has broken me of that stronghold by placing me in an imperfect home that needs a lot of work. I’m super excited about an accessory building called the “Pool-house,” but his dad never built a pool. Our family always gathered there on Christmas Day. My intentions are to make it into a chapel, a place for my family to gather once again, only this time to worship God. I’m probably more excited about that than anything else. It will require a commitment, but what better way to worship God than to bring your family close and begin training your grandchildren on how to preach and teach. In the future, they will be able to do their part in fulfilling the Great Commission. We can do many things to further the gospel message, but the best thing is to teach the children how they should go. If they stray, they will remember their childhood and come back to their seat of comfort and peace in the love of Jesus.

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

April 23, 2022

The day of the Lord will not be good for those who have rejected Jesus. Some people are doing the bidding of Satan that have no idea what they’ve become mixed up in. They follow the woke culture thinking they are righteousness in their deeds when truthfully they are going against everything good God has put in place. I pity them because they will face the wrath of God because of their stupidity. Zechariah holds nothing back when explaining what that day will be like for them; he records some gruesome details in chapter 14; you will have to read it yourself. Get this straight in your head, we are the remanent and will not face God’s wrath, so when you read about the wrath of God, understand that it’s not meant for you. Our hope lies in Jesus; he is our King!

A common theme from the prophets is the warning about the Day of the Lord. The verses I’ve included are the good news that Zechariah brings; much of the rest are warnings for the people involved in doing evil. 

In the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. Zechariah 13:8

On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. Zechariah 14:8-9

April 22, 2022

God may be refining you by fire right now; like gold and silver, he is purifying you. The trials you face are faith-building, and God will use them to bring you into submission, so you follow him more closely. We don’t like it when this happens, but God does. He loves it when we turn to Him and rely on him for our next breath and desires to strengthen us through our weakness by trusting in his will. He won’t leave you crumpled in a pile on the floor; he gives hope and light in the darkness. The enemy seethes when we rely wholeheartedly on the Lord, but the Lord smiles and tells him to wait and see your response to his torment! Remember Job? Even when he thought all was lost, God replaced everything he had lost plus more because he continued to trust him. I’ve been through the fire, and though I wouldn’t want to go through it again, I’m grateful it happened because it built my faith and trust in God. I encourage you to keep your eyes firmly placed on Him, and you will shine like a bright star when you get through it. 

And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’” Zechariah 13:9

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:6-7

April 21, 2022

Richard and I are taking advantage of the market and selling some of our rentals. Even though the properties are residential, which is usually an easy transaction, they are income-producing. We have to give the buyer extra information to make a good decision. When we recently moved, I stashed some critical papers and forgot! I was missing about half of what I needed to show the buyers. I looked everywhere and then decided to go through each file in the cabinet because they couldn't be anywhere else. I should have filed them properly, but I found them clumped together in one folder. 

When we spread the seeds of the gospel, people will put them in a file in their minds. Then the devil will come along with other data to create confusion. Rather than having the information filed where it belongs, it gets clumped together, and the necessary information gets lost. Our message to unbelievers must be clear. When we mix ideas like the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause with God's message, it is diluted, and people get confused. Too many times have I heard Christians explain that these things can be used to bring people to Christ. Is the message of Christ so weak that it can't stand alone? I think not.

I don't have an answer to how we should separate these traditions, but we need to do something. 

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Romans 1:22-23

April 20, 2022

It’s amazing how light can transform a space. The access to our house was overgrown. The trees had grown so much that the entry was dark, and the roots were causing the concrete to break. Don’t get me wrong, I love trees, but when they are poorly placed and causing problems, they need to go. The gates can fully open now that we’ve removed them and cleared the brush. Are there trees in your life that need to be removed or trimmed back? Maybe there is something that started out as a good thing but has grown into an intrusion, and you’ve taken it too far. Perhaps you’ve become obsessed with fitness, the internet, sports, shopping, or something else taking over your life and causing you to drift away from the Lord. Anything that keeps you from spending quality time with God may need to be brought into check and cleared away so the light can shine in your life. You never want the access to the temple to become overgrown; clear away the brush, so the gates open wide, and the voice of the Holy Spirit becomes more evident.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:5-6

April 19, 2022

Yesterday, I began sorting through all the things in the garage attached to the house. My father-in-law liked cars and had a beautiful car covered with dust sitting in the garage. It barely fit in there because of all the other things he collected. As beautiful as it is, you can’t even open the doors because the battery is dead! Going through his things hasn’t been easy, but I need garage space because the front porch is cluttered, and I can’t stand it. Plus, I’m afraid the car will be damaged if something falls on it or scrapes against it. I understand his need to be surrounded by the things he purchased; somehow, I guess they made him happy; a human might need that if they are not seeking joy through Jesus. 

Our minds are like the messy garage; we need to sort through the clutter! The process is not easy because you have to look at each thing and assess whether it needs to stay or go. Undoubtedly, painful things need healing to become functional. It’s like the inoperable car; it’s sitting in the garage, useless. It needs to be recharged and given new life rather than sitting there stagnant and causing more pain; pain because I keep running into it. Change your pain into a ministry; unbelievers should see the joy of your healing rather than the sorrow associated with your pain. They may look at you and want the same contentment you have, and it only comes from having a relationship with Jesus.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

April 18, 2022

I’ve given up on having a bird feeder because of the raccoons and squirrels tearing them up. It also brings other rodents close to my house that I’m not fond of. So, last night I emptied the feeder onto the sidewalk, and it was nearly full. This morning, I’m watching as multiple types of birds, and the squirrels are munching on the feast I laid out before them. Needless to say, the birds are waiting in the branches to take a turn eating. This may be more fun than the feeder! 

I began my study of Zechariah and got stopped in chapter 3 by a verse that mentioned the “Branch;” it was capitalized, which got my attention.

Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. Zechariah 3:8

We know the “Branch” is Jesus. But look what it says a couple of verses down:

In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” Zechariah 3:10

The different types of birds coming from branches to feast on the food remind me of all the nationalities coming together because of Jesus. It also reminds me of the Great Commission, which he gave his disciples right after his resurrection! 

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19

I love how the Old and New Testaments weave together in perfect harmony with a message that is on time and in order. Only the Holy Spirit can create such seamless lessons.

April 17, 2022

And so the fake news began! Instead of exuberant rejoicing, the cabal of that day sent out a false message among the people that the disciples carried off Jesus’s body. And just like today, the people believed the lies. 

And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ Matthew 28:12-13

So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. Matthew 28:15

Fortunately for us, the back channels of information reached us, and we are saved because we rejected the lies that still pulse throughout our society today. JESUS HAS RISEN! God did everything he said he would do, which means eternity is our destination; God keeps his promises. 

April 16, 2022

It was a quiet day after all the activity surrounding Jesus’s crucifixion. His body lay in the tomb. He was alone, except for the guards posted outside. They were there to keep the disciples from carrying off his body, but I bet they thought they could stop Jesus from exiting when he came back to life, as he said. They had seen the miracles he had performed, but they dismissed the truth. The enemy uses weak humans to do his bidding, and they fall in line with his plan. He still whispers into the ears of the unsuspecting, making them doubt the story of Jesus, and yet they call us gullible. We’ll see in due time. Until then, I will keep believing in my Savior. My sins were many, and he cleaned up every one of them, and his purity envelopes me and covers those sins. Rest assured, my fellow Christians, we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, and Jesus is our guarantee.

Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. Matthew 27:65-66

April 15, 2022

I'm offended by the term "Good Friday." It goes against my heart, and I feel repulsed by it. Whoever came up with the label couldn't have loved Jesus. I mourn on this day and find no glory in it. I'm disturbed that Jesus had to endure our filth. However, I am grateful to him for what he did, but my heart breaks every time I read the account of his suffering. Nothing can compare to the love he showed us by giving his life for the redemption of our sin. Today, I mourn in remembrance of my Savior but come Sunday, I will rejoice because he overcame the darkness of death to give us hope for an eternity spent with him. 

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

April 14, 2022

If a friend has ever betrayed you, then you may understand how painful it is. Richard and I had this happen to us during the time when his dad passed away. We considered this couple our friends, but obviously, they didn’t feel the same way. We were grieving the loss of a parent, but we were also grieving the loss of a friendship. We were not on the same page spiritually or politically, but we overlooked that out of love; and who knows, maybe someday they would have come to know Jesus because of that love. It’s still harrowing for us. If we are still feeling that pain months later, imagine how Jesus felt knowing Judas was going to betray him unto death. We have to be thankful they didn’t turn us over to be killed, even though it feels like a part of us died inside. When we accept Jesus as our savior and continue to sin, aren’t we betraying him? We’ve thrown his sacrifice out the window like it never happened. Imagine his pain and how it cuts clear to his heart.

Today, as we celebrate Passover, remember Jesus’s heartbreak, and do your best to avoid betraying him with your sin.

For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” Luke 22:22

April 13, 2022

As we continue to honor Jesus this week for what he did for us on the cross, we must remember we still live in the territory of Satan. He is the same being that lied to the officials about what Jesus was going to do, causing them to go after him. The governments of the world haven’t changed. As more information comes to light concerning what they are doing at the guidance of Satan, we must persevere in the fight. Continue to reach out to God in prayer; he is the only one who can save us from all the madness. The author of confusion is roaming around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Who’s it going to be today? What lie are they pushing to try and control the masses? Are we going back to the Covid narrative because it worked before? Or do they have something else up their sleeve? I’m so over this! It’s time for the followers of Christ to start listening to him, tune into the Holy Spirit, and follow his direction for your life. No one is looking out for you but Jesus. The truth is coming into the light. Will you believe it, or will you continue to believe the cycle of lies? It’s up to you to discern the truth. Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you; your life may depend on it.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

April 12, 2022

Holy Week is a time to reflect on how amazing Jesus is and how grateful we are for him delivering us from our sins. As a person who loves to garden, I see a lot of parallels between gardening and what he did for us. For example, the weeds and vines tend to take over if they are allowed to grow unkempt like sin and can strangle the plant you want to grow. However, when the gardener, Jesus, keeps the weeds under control, the plantings, me and you, become strong and flourish. With a bit of fertilizer, prayer, and a healthy amount of water, the Bible, we can live for eternity, create beautiful blooms and produce food for the lost. Keep tending your garden, my friends; this is a sinful world, and it needs Jesus.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

April 11, 2022

During the week leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus, he took action that is important for us to remember. After he was presented as King in the procession into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday, he spent the night in Bethany. The next day, on the road back to Jerusalem, he came across a fig tree that didn’t have fruit, and he cursed it. I would not want to be cursed like that fig tree for not bearing fruit! It wasn’t the season for the fig tree, which makes me think that we had better bear fruit in every season! 

In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. Matthew 21:18-19

After that, he headed to the temple to teach, and once again, they were selling their products, and he ran them out! We are the temple and the house of prayer! Bear fruit and keep it clean! We need to get this right; Jesus is free to everyone, and we shouldn’t make him a business for profit, and we should be skeptical of anyone who does.

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” Luke 19:45-45